


Stargazing

by notallballs (notallbees)



Series: tipap sequels [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, Fanart, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-07-23
Packaged: 2018-12-06 01:47:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11590458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notallbees/pseuds/notallballs
Summary: “What’s your favourite constellation, Ushiwaka-chan?”Over winter break, Oikawa spends the night at Ushijima's house.





	Stargazing

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [This Insignificant Pride and Prejudice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7364587) by [Mysecretfanmoments](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysecretfanmoments/pseuds/Mysecretfanmoments), [Pouler (poulerslashes)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/poulerslashes/pseuds/Pouler). 



> I did promise I had another one in the works! :> thank you again to Pouler and Val for letting me play in their sandbox, I don't know what it is about this verse that reduces me to a melty puddle of goo, but I'm very happy to let it happen!

"You have to tell me about Ushiwaka's house this time, Tooru."

Tooru looked up from the bag he had half packed, and gave Takeru an appraising glance. His nephew stood with his arms folded, doing his best impression of someone taller and more intimidating than himself. Tooru suspected he'd picked up the habit from Iwaizumi, but nevertheless the sight made him feel excessively proud of his nephew.

"Why are you so interested in what Ushiwaka-chan's house looks like?" 

Takeru wrinkled his nose. "He's famous and stuff."

"I'm just as famous as he is," Tooru said with a trace of impatience.

"You're not."

Tooru huffed. "Well anyway, even famous people live just like everyone else, you know."

Takeru rolled his eyes. "Like you'd know." 

Tooru forced himself to bite his tongue. Arguing with a ten year old was probably beneath him. When he said nothing, Takeru sighed and sloped off to get his things for his swimming class, and Tooru congratulated himself on having matured to the point where he could avoid picking fights with someone half his age. 

With Takeru gone, he was free to finish getting ready at least, and he looked over what he'd set aside to take with him. A change of underwear and a clean t-shirt. A book. His toothbrush. He hesitated over packing his pyjamas, but reasoned that he'd rather have them than not. What if he had to pee in the middle of the night and one of Ushijima's family members found him wandering along the hallway in his underwear?

The idea did occur to him that perhaps he could borrow something of Ushijima's to wear, but he pushed the traitorous thought away just as quickly. He already had one of Ushijima's hoodies stashed away in his dorm room, and he planned to keep it until its owner made a repatriation request. If he started borrowing clothes more regularly, someone would probably notice.

"Tooru!" His sister Mikako's voice carried up the stairs. "Are you almost ready?"

"Coming, Nee-chan!" Tooru yelled over his shoulder. 

He turned back to his things and groaned. One thing he hated more than anything was being rushed, but Mikako had agreed to take him to Ushijima's house only on the agreement that she took Takeru to his swimming class on the way. 

"Too—ru!" It was Takeru this time, sounding bored. 

With a weary sigh, Tooru shoved his things into his gym bag and zipped it shut. After a moment's hesitation, he unzipped it again, grabbed the new box of condoms from his bedside drawer, and shoved it down to the bottom of the bag. He unzipped it twice more, to add his retainer and glasses, and then a crumpled squeezy tube of lubricant that had seen far too much use this week. If he was going to bring condoms—just in case—he might as well go the whole way. 

"Tooru!"

"I said I'm coming!"

 

 

They listened to the radio as they drove through the quiet neighborhoods to the sports centre where Takeru's lessons were held. Takeru had more or less exhausted the topics of Tooru's university and his new volleyball team in the first two days of Tooru being home, but apparently his curiosity about Ushijima had not yet been satisfied. 

"What will you do at his house? Play volleyball?"

Tooru laughed. "In this weather?"

"You played with me and Chiaki in the park yesterday!"

"It hadn't snowed yesterday. Besides, we slipped on that ice, remember?"

"Then what—"

"Takeru," Mikako admonished, laughing. "Enough with the questions. We'll be there in a minute."

Takeru sat back in his seat with a huff. "I was just asking."

"The truth is I don't know _what_ we'll be doing," Tooru said to placate him. "But I'll be sure to tell you everything when I get home tomorrow."

"Fi—ine," Takeru sighed. 

They pulled up at the sports centre and Mikako killed the engine. "Back in a minute," she said to Tooru, and glanced over her shoulder at Takeru. "Come on, kiddo!"

"Have fun, Take-chan!" Tooru called out as Takeru jumped out of the car. "Say hello to Chiakkun and Yue-tan for me!"

Takeru grunted. "Fine. Have fun with Ushiwaka."

Tooru grinned at him. "I _will_."

Tooru sat back in his seat as they went inside, and reached into his pocket for his phone. He hadn't told Ushijima that he was on his way, and he debated whether to text him now or leave him in suspense. He wondered if Ushijima would be waiting for him at the door, if he would rush out to greet Tooru at the gate. No, that wasn't his style, and Tooru would be mortified if he tried.

 _On my way_ , he texted. 

_I hope you are not cycling_ , Ushijima replied promptly.

Tooru clutched the phone to his chest for a moment, fighting down a silly smile. He'd teased Ushijima earlier that day that he would ride his bike again, despite the heavy snowfall they'd had overnight. Ushijima had quietly reasoned with him, even going so far as to offer that his stepfather would give Tooru a lift again. Tooru wondered if he had asked permission this time.

 _Maybe I am~_ , Tooru responded, just to be difficult, and because a little part of him liked it when Ushijima worried over him.

When Mikako got back in the car, they drove a short way in silence, but when Tooru reached out to turn the radio station back on, Mikako turned the volume down. 

"Hey, Tooru," she said, when he gave her a puzzled look. The tone of her voice made him nervous. "You and Ushiwaka—"

Tooru swallowed the sudden lump in his throat and turned to look out of the windscreen. "It's strange, isn't it?" he said, before she could say anymore. "That we're friends now, I mean. I thought I'd hate him forever." A short silence followed his words, and his stomach curled anxiously. He thought he'd done a pretty good job hiding the waver in his voice, but Mikako knew him better than most people.

She made a thoughtful noise. "All I wanted to say was that you seem really happy."

Tooru's heart thudded. He looked at her, wide-eyed with surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

"Just what I said. Whatever happened between the two of you, I'm glad it did. You seem much happier now than you were in high school."

"Oh." Tooru looked forward again, out at the snowy landscape. He thought back to high school, and the friends he'd left behind, and Iwaizumi so far away now. And then he thought of volleyball, and his new teammates, and how he left almost every practice feeling like he was walking on air. "I guess...maybe."

Mikako laughed softly. "Well, if he ever treats you badly, he can answer to me."

Panic flared briefly in his chest, but he recognised the out she was giving him. She hadn't asked him outright, he could still deny it if he wanted to. He realised that he didn't, so he sighed and sank down in his seat. "He doesn't need a shovel talk," he grumbled, glancing out of the side window. They were both silent for a minute or so, but a thought had begun to gnaw at the back of Tooru's mind, and the longer he sat there, the louder it became. "Hey," he said at last, sitting up slightly. "Um. Do Mom and Dad know?"

"I don't think so," Mikako said, glancing at him. "Don't you want them to?"

Tooru shrugged. 

"That's okay," she said in a gentle voice. "Take your time, Tooru."

 

 

Tooru's insides were a jumble by the time they finally pulled up outside Ushijima's house.

"This is the place?" Mikako asked, looking out of the window in surprise. "It's not what I expected."

Tooru grinned at her. "That's pretty much the hallmark of getting to know Ushiwaka-chan. Thanks for the lift."

"No problem," she said, resting her hands on the wheel while he pulled his bag over his shoulder. "Behave yourself."

"When do I not behave?" he replied, affecting an innocent expression.

Mikako snorted. "Yeah, yeah." She shooed him out of the car, and Tooru let himself in through the heavy iron gate in front of the house. He wanted to take his time and run his fingers over the metal nameplate, but Mikako was still watching, so he kept his hands to himself. 

Ushijima's house looked small and cosy in the darkness, with light spilling from the downstairs windows and from up in the attic. Tooru stood for a moment looking up at the attic window with a funny, bubbly sensation in his chest. The knowledge that Mikako was still behind him, the engine idling, made him move on quickly. He crossed the driveway in a few long strides and knocked on the door. 

The sound was immediately followed by the excited yapping of Sugar and Salt, and Tooru grinned, remembering how he'd pictured Ushijima with a pack of huge dogs at his feet, gamboling across the hills together. The door opened a few moments later and Ushijima's stepdad Inomoto greeted him warmly while the dogs spilled out and encircled his ankles, yapping joyfully and snuffling his trainers. From deeper in the house came the sound of Ushijima's grandmother calling them back inside.

"Come in, come in," Inomoto said, ushering him inside. Tooru stepped over the threshold, doing his best to keep from treading on Salt, who had discovered some fascinating scent on Tooru's left shoe and seemed reluctant to leave without fully exploring it.

"Thank you so much for inviting me to stay."

Inomoto laughed. "No need to be formal. Besides, we'd have to be monsters to refuse. Wakatoshi's been talking about it non-stop since he got home."

Tooru's eyebrows shot up. "Non-stop?"

Inomoto laughed again. "Well, you know. Non-stop for him."

Tooru smiled. He couldn't wait to tease Ushijima about that; he knew he'd been exactly the same with his own family. "Is he—"

"He's upstairs," Inomoto said. "Do you remember the way?"

"I think so," Tooru said, shifting his bag from one shoulder to the other. "Just keep going up."

Inomoto nodded. "Why don't you go up and settle in? I'll call you both for dinner in about an hour."

Tooru tried to stomp down on his excitement so as not to be overwhelmed by it. A whole hour to themselves. And then, a whole night. An entire night with no roommates, no volleyball, no homework. Just them. He uttered a quick thank you and made for the stairs before the grin burst over his face. He half expected Ushijima to accost him halfway up, but he made it all the way to the attic door without seeing a single member of Ushijima's family. 

Hesitating on the final step, he wondered if he ought to knock, but before he could make up his mind he heard Ushijima's voice call out softly.

"It is unlocked."

The stupid smile returned to his face, and Tooru turned the handle and stepped inside. 

The attic was just as he remembered it from the summer, though slightly more cluttered than it had been. The telescope had been moved to another window.

"Oh!" Tooru said, forgetting for a moment how much he'd missed Ushijima in the scant few days they'd been apart. "It's fixed?"

Ushijima rose from where he sat on the floor and walked over to take Tooru's bag from him. "The repairs were completed the week before I returned home. I wanted to surprise you."

"You always do that," Tooru said in a fond voice, turning and reaching for him.

Ushijima's arms wrapped around his waist and Tooru pressed closer, tucking his face into the warmth of Ushijima's neck and hugging him close. He took a deep breath and let it out again slowly, feeling as he did as though an invisible weight slid away, letting him breathe easier. 

"Ohh," he sighed, holding Ushijima more tightly. "I missed this."

"Me too," Ushijima rumbled, his breath hot against Tooru's shoulder. One of his hands moved up and his fingers stroked through Tooru's hair. 

Tooru grinned. "You like my hair," he teased.

"You know I do."

They separated after what felt like far too little time, and Tooru leaned up to kiss Ushijima on the mouth. 

"Hello," he said, looking up into Ushijima's eyes. The light was behind him, and his gaze was dark and intense as he focused on Tooru. 

Ushijima smiled, and Tooru felt his stomach roll around pleasantly. "Hello," Ushijima said quietly. His hand was still in Tooru's hair; he cupped the back of Tooru's head gently and then kissed him again, nudging forward with a gentle pressure that Tooru was more than happy to succumb to. His own hands found their way to Ushijima's hips and pulled him closer, and Ushijima made a soft noise against his mouth that sent a shiver through him. 

"Hah," Tooru panted, breaking away from him eventually. Ushijima's eyes were still closed, and Tooru fought the urge to lean back in again. They would have plenty of time later. "So, we have an hour until dinner." He reached for Ushijima's wrist and looked at his watch upside down. "Well, more like fifty minutes now."

"Hmm." 

Tooru grinned at him. "Hmm?"

"Is there something you would like to do?"

Normally if Ushijima said something like that, it was safe to assume that he hadn't intended any double entendre. He was generally allergic to euphemism, although he'd gotten far better at picking up on subtleties in Tooru's speech. 

But there was something about the way his hand rested against Tooru's waist, the way he was still leaning in close, that made Tooru think he _had_ intended something more untoward. 

"I can't think of anything," Tooru purred, looping his arms around Ushijima's neck. "Did you have something in mind?"

Ushijima held him gently. "We could talk. Or…" 

_Ah, there it was._ Oikawa smirked. "Or?"

"I thought you might like to use the telescope."

"Oh." Oikawa straightened up, letting his hands slip down to Ushijima's chest. He felt himself flushing, but he couldn't very well admit that he'd expected Ushijima to politely suggest a blowjob. "Yes," he said, pulling away and turning toward the window in an effort to hide his embarrassment. "I'd love to."

"Is something the matter?"

Oikawa laughed. "Nothing at all." He turned and tapped Ushijima on the arm. "Come on, I've been dying to look at this thing again since you brought me your grandfather's book to read. Show me how it works?"

They knelt on the floor together beside the window, and Ushijima drew back the blind. "Check the eyepiece," he instructed gently. "I believe it will require adjustment." 

As Tooru tilted his head to check the view, Ushijima rose and switched off the light overhead, leaving the room lit only by the glow of the lamp on his desk. This done, he carefully knelt beside Tooru, close enough that their arms were touching.

"Nope," Tooru murmured, sitting up. "Can't see anything."

Ushijima gave a solemn nod, then began to explain to Tooru how to adjust the telescope, demonstrating for him how to alter the focus and alignment. Tooru watched and listened carefully, intent upon Ushijima's steady voice in the semi-darkness. 

When he had finished, Tooru found himself watching Ushijima's profile, silhouetted by the lamp behind him. It was strange how someone could be so familiar to him, and yet Tooru constantly felt as though he were seeing some aspect or angle of Ushijima for the first time.

"Were my instructions clear?" Ushijima asked gently.

Tooru blinked at him in surprise. "What?" 

Ushijima gestured to the telescope. "I hope I have explained fully." He gave Tooru an awkward half-smile. "I thought you would be excited to use it."

"I am!" Tooru said, flushing as he turned to look at the telescope. "Of course I am. You were very thorough, Ushiwaka-chan, as usual." He reached out to touch the focus dial and lowered his face to look through the eyepiece again. It took him a little careful calibration, but after a minute he brought the moon into focus, seeing it more clearly than he had the last time they had looked in the fading summer light. 

"Good news," he said, sitting up again. "The moon's still there."

"It would be unlikely for us to be the first to notice her disappearance," Ushijima said, the quiet humour in his tone giving Tooru a little shiver of pleasure that he'd been able to recognise it. 

But something about Ushijima's words made Tooru lean back and look at him curiously. "Why do you call it 'she'?"

Ushijima frowned. "I had not realised. Perhaps I inherited the habit from my grandfather."

"Have you been reading his book again?" Tooru asked, leaning against Ushijima's shoulder. 

"Yes," Ushijima said, nodding. "Being home again...I have felt somewhat—nostalgic."

Tooru grinned. "You? Nostalgic?"

Ushijima shrugged, acknowledging Tooru's gentle teasing. "My grandfather passed away around this time of year."

Tooru's shoulders stiffened, the smirk slipping from his face. "I'm sorry, Wakatoshi," he said, sitting up straight. "I shouldn't have made fun."

"I would prefer you tease me," Ushijima said, shaking his head. "It was a long time ago." He frowned again, and Tooru was quiet while he waited for Ushijima to puzzle out what it was he wanted to say. "I do not feel sad," Ushijima said at last. "I am not mourning my grandfather, but I miss him. I miss...the way things used to be."

"With your family?"

Ushijima looked away, then he leaned across Tooru to look through the eyepiece of the telescope. "With school also," he said after a moment, and drew back to look at Tooru, his gaze heavy. 

"I never realised you were so sentimental," Tooru said lightly. "So you miss when we were still enemies?"

Ushijima gave him an admonishing look. "You know I never thought of you as an enemy." Tooru waved him off impatiently, but Ushijima pressed on regardless. "Besides, I did not mean our rivalry, or even volleyball necessarily."

"Did you even do anything in high school that wasn't volleyball?"

"Of course," Ushijima said with a slight quirk of his mouth.

Tooru laughed and leaned back to rest on his elbows. "I was just as bad. I lost track of how many girls dumped me because I was too preoccupied by volleyball."

"Perhaps you should have dated a fellow athlete," Ushijima said, moving closer. "They may have been more understanding." 

"Mm," Tooru hummed, reaching for him. He tugged at Ushijima's shoulders, pulling him over until he rested most of his weight on top of Tooru, both of them being mindful of the telescope. "Did you have anyone in mind, Wakacchan?"

Ushijima reached up to brush Tooru's hair off his forehead. His hand lingered, cupping the side of Tooru's head. "I'd prefer not to think of you seeing someone else," he murmured, lowering his head to kiss Tooru's jaw. 

Tooru laughed and tilted his head back, shivering when Ushijima's lips moved to his neck. "Then don't think about it," he said, slipping his hands under Ushijima's t-shirt and spreading his fingers over Ushijima's back. 

While Ushijima busied himself rediscovering every spot on Tooru's neck that made him twitch and shiver, his hands did their own roaming, touching Tooru through his sweater, then under his shirt, warm fingers on his bare stomach. 

"Wakatoshi," Tooru gasped, digging his nails into Ushijima's back. "This isn't fair."

"Are you worried you won't be able to control yourself?" Ushijima whispered, hand trailing lower.

Tooru groaned, arching his hips up against Ushijima. "Wakacchan," he murmured, closing his eyes. "Don't start something you're not going to finish."

Ushijima lowered his head and kissed Tooru's collarbone, then the underside of his jaw.

"Wakatoshi," Tooru groaned in complaint. "You stupid romantic—"

"I've missed you," Ushijima said softly, pushing his hand under Tooru's shirt again and moving it up over his chest. " _Tooru_."

Tooru kissed him again, as much to shut him up as anything, and tangled their legs together as the kiss built into a hot, lazy makeout session. He ran his fingers through Ushijima's hair and pulled at his clothes, and kissed him until his mouth felt hot and dry and swollen. 

"Wakatoshi! Oikawa-kun!" 

Inomoto's voice came from the stairs to Ushijima's room. Neither had heard his footsteps on the stairs and they broke apart guiltily, both glancing at the door.

"Uh," Tooru said, which was all he could manage.

"Do not worry," Ushijima said softly. "Nobody will enter without knocking first. We should hurry though."

Tooru laughed breathlessly. "I can't believe you're going to make me sit and talk to your family after _that_."

"Should I apologise for kissing you?" Ushijima asked, still making no move to get up.

"Absolutely not," Tooru said, pulling him in again and kissing him soundly before releasing him. "Just promise me you'll do it again straight after dinner."

Ushijima gave an approximation of an apologetic smile as he pulled Tooru to his feet. "Typically we play board games after dinner. We may be occupied for several hours."

Tooru blinked at him. "What? You're joking."

"It is a family tradition," Ushijima said as he straightened his clothes. Tooru was too distracted by the horrifying prospect of family board games to be proud of the mess he'd made of his boyfriend. "Akiko is excepted from participating."

"You're pulling my leg." Tooru put his hands on his hips and squinted at Ushijima, but he merely gazed back with the same calm, straightforward look on his face. "Ushiwaka-chan, do not make me play board games with your family. Do you know how competitive I am? I can't turn it off, you know, they'll never want me again—"

He broke off when he spotted a tiny twitch of Ushijima's mouth, and his mouth dropped open in shock. 

"You bastard."

"I apologize. It was surprisingly easy to deceive you."

Tooru spluttered. "I can't believe it. My own boyfriend—"

"You regularly do the same to me," Ushijima said, with a small smile that belied his words. 

"You're so earnest," Tooru complained, following Ushijima to the door. "It would be a sin to waste the opportunity."

 

 

Dinner with Ushijima's family was moderately less awkward than the first time. The last time he had been here, Tooru had no longer hated Ushijima, but he certainly hadn't _liked_ him, either. At least, not in the way he did now. Not even close. Of course, that only served to make things awkward in a different way. Ushijima, as usual, looked completely unaffected by what was happening around him, but Tooru still felt amped up and shivery, and the way Ushijima's knee kept touching his own under the table was doing nothing to dispel the sensation. 

"How are you finding university, Oikawa-kun?" Ushijima's mother asked him after he had passed her a dish from the other side of the table. 

"Oh, you know," Tooru said, instinctively giving the same generic response he did to every distant family member or acquaintance he ran into. "A lot like high school only more work, and of course I spend even more time at volleyball practice now."

"I don't know when you boys find the time for anything else," Inomoto said, laughing. "From the way Wakatoshi talks, I'd think the campus was just one big gym."

Tooru laughed too, and cast a fond look at Ushijima. "It feels that way sometimes, but you don't need to worry about him." He caught Ushijima's mother watching him and smiled at her. "Wakatoshi is very diligent with his schoolwork too, he knows I won't have him on my team if he falls behind."

When he glanced back across, Ushijima was watching him with a strange expression, but it passed quickly, and Tooru turned his attention back to the food. He asked after Akiko, who had already been fed and put to bed, and was surprised and pleased when Ushijima was the one to relate an anecdote about his baby sister.

"You have a nephew, don't you, Oikawa-kun?" Ushijima's mother asked, and Tooru happily regaled them with a story about Takeru and Iwaizumi's younger brother Chiaki, who were in the same class in grade school, and were both determined to play volleyball at Kitagawa Daiichi.

"Is that a good school for volleyball?" Inomoto asked.

"It is excellent," Ushijima replied, before Tooru had a chance. 

Tooru smirked, but the memory of his repeated losses to Shiratorizawa didn't ache these days. "You always beat us though," he teased, reaching out to touch Ushijima's ankle with his foot, softening his words. 

"Your team was the fiercest competition we faced."

"Now now, boys," Ushijima's mother said, looking between them with a knowing smile. "You're not rivals anymore."

At the end of the meal, Tooru insisted on being allowed to help clear the dishes. He confided in Ushijima's parents the prank Ushijima had played on him regarding the board games, which seemed to amuse them both immensely.

When they were finally free, Ushijima herded Tooru back up the stairs to his room without haste. Tooru wanted to take three steps at a time, but he didn't want to draw the suspicion of Ushijima's parents and forced himself to climb them at a steady pace instead. Ushijima paused on the landing and touched Tooru's arm.

"There," he said, indicating the door to the right of his own. "The bathroom," he added at Tooru's puzzled look. 

"Oh!" Tooru grinned. "Yes. Good thinking, Ushiwaka-chan, thank you."

Ushijima nodded, and indicated another door. "Akiko sleeps there."

Tooru glanced at the door, and then up. "Underneath yours." Ushijima nodded again. "So we need to be quiet."

"It would be preferable."

"I'll do my best," Tooru said in a hushed voice. "Silence isn't my strong suit."

Ushijima gave him an unreadable look that made something tingle at the base of Tooru's spine, before turning away to lead him up the attic stairs once more. 

"What would you like to do?" Ushijima asked, hesitating just inside the door. 

Tooru turned around and pushed the door closed. "What do you suggest?" He grinned. "And don't say a board game."

Ushijima looked at him steadily. "I don't have anything to entertain you with." 

"Nonsense," Tooru said, taking a step closer to him. "I imagine there's plenty you could do."

To his delight, Ushijima flushed very slightly. "I have my laptop, if there is something you'd like to watch—"

Tooru nodded eagerly. They sometimes watched videos together at college, sitting or lying side by side on Ushijima's bed, although Iseya was around often enough that they generally kept their hands to themselves. 

"Sounds good. Oh! I'm going to change into my pyjamas."

Ushijima blinked. "It is early."

"It's a sleepover," Tooru said, winking at him. "Pyjamas are a must."

"Then I will fetch us some tea while you change."

Tooru laughed. "You've seen me change before. You're not turning shy on me, are you, Wakkachan?"

"Of course not."

Ushijima would not be persuaded to stay, so Tooru waited until he was gone before digging his pyjamas out of his bag and shimmying out of his clothes. He considered just waiting like that for Ushijima to return, but he liked the idea of them spending time together alone that _didn't_ involve sex,. 

When he was changed, Tooru laid out the two futons stacked in the corner of the room. It was cold in the attic room, but the covers on Ushijima's beds were warm and heavy, and a small heater stood to the side of the room, throwing out a modest amount of warmth. 

Tooru was sprawled on his stomach when Ushijima returned, reading a book about long distance running that he had taken down from the shelf. 

"I made green tea," Ushijima said, setting down the tray. 

Tooru nodded absently. "That's fine."

Engrossed in the book, Tooru didn't realise what was happening behind him until he heard the creak of Ushijima's wardrobe, and glanced over his shoulder in time to see him standing in his boxers, his back to Tooru. His head was bent as he turned a clean t-shirt around in his hands, searching for the right hole, and Tooru admired the perfect curve of his back and neck. 

Ushijima turned when Tooru closed the book with a snap and set it down on the floor. "Tooru."

"Don't mind me," Tooru said, grinning as he rolled over to watch.

"You have watched me change before," Ushijima said, echoing Tooru's words with a small smile. 

Tooru shook his head. "It's different, I don't _watch_ you change for practice, not with everyone else around. That would be creepy."

"I see your point." 

Ushijima finished dressing and joined Tooru on the floor after retrieving his laptop. They talked for a little while in between watching odd videos as Tooru tried to decide on a movie to watch. The telescope in the corner caught Tooru's eye at one point, and he dropped his head onto Ushijima's shoulder with a sigh. 

"What's your favourite constellation, Ushiwaka-chan?"

"I don't have a favourite."

Tooru rolled his eyes. "Bor—ring," he sing-songed. "There must be something, even if you like it for strange Ushiwaka reasons."

Ushijima made a thoughtful noise, and Tooru lifted his head to look at him, waiting patiently for him to speak. "Hmm," Ushijima said at last. "Then perhaps...Aquila."

"I see," Tooru said, giving him a shrewd look. "An eagle. That makes sense, although I had you pegged as an Orion fan, or maybe Hercules." He winked and gestured to himself. "I know you have a type after all."

Ushijima laughed under his breath. "You always expect me to be predictable."

"On the contrary," Tooru said, grinning at him. "I know by now that you're anything but."

Ushijima flushed a little. "Considering how often you berate me for being romantic—"

"Ah! Don't say it," Tooru hissed, putting his hand over Ushijima's mouth. He grinned. "That's enough, Wakacchan."

"Mm." Ushijima slid his arm around Tooru's waist and pulled the laptop onto his legs. "Well then, was there something you wanted to watch?"

After some deliberation, Tooru pulled up a movie and settled in against Ushijima to enjoy it.

When they had finished their tea, Ushijima reached over to switch off the lamp on his desk, and they kept watching in the darkness. Tooru heard Ushijima's parents moving around, their footsteps on the landing, the sound of the toilet flushing, and then the house slowly went quiet. 

Tooru felt himself relax, losing tension he hasn't realised he'd been holding. Being around his friends' families was exhausting, especially when he didn't know them well. The only exception were Iwaizumi's parents and brother, who were practically a second family to him at this point. Tooru was only too aware that the real him could be difficult to like, but he liked Ushijima's family, and he wanted them to like him. That was nothing new; Tooru liked to be liked, but this was more for Ushijima's sake than his own. 

Ushijima was characteristically silent as they watched the movie, but Tooru could sense that he didn't have his usual quiet focus. 

"What is it?" Tooru asked, when he felt Ushijima's eyes on him for the umpteenth time since they came upstairs. He sat up and looked across at Ushijima, fluttering his eyelashes. "See something you like, Wakacchan?"

Ushijima's tongue poked out and wetted his bottom lip. "At dinner," he said in a quiet voice. "You called me Wakatoshi."

Tooru blinked at him, surprised. "I did?"

Ushijima nodded. "You told my mother, 'You don't need to worry about Wakatoshi'."

"Oh," Tooru murmured, glancing back at the screen. His face felt hot, and he was glad of the darkness. "I didn't realise. Still, I was right, wasn't I? She doesn't need to worry, you work very hard, despite my best efforts to keep you distracted."

Tooru hadn't really expected Ushijima to take the bait, but he was still surprised when Ushijima reached out and paused the movie. 

Tooru swallowed, and cleared his throat softly. "You don't need to stop it, I won't keep talking." 

Ushijima shook his head. "Tooru—" he began, and paused, as if he wasn't sure how he meant to continue. "Would it trouble you if my family were to find out about our relationship?"

Tooru turned and looked at him. "Have they?"

"I don't believe so," Ushijima said, gazing at the frozen image on the screen. "At least—they have not said anything to me, but my grandmother is very perceptive." His mouth curved into a little half-smile. "You remind me of her sometimes."

"Do they know that you're—" Tooru began, and paused. He'd never actually asked Ushijima if he was gay, or if Tooru himself was an outlier. "That you like men," he finished lamely. 

Ushijima nodded. "My grandmother knew before I told her. There was a boy I liked at the start of high school. He came for dinner, only once, but somehow she knew. I have never spoken to my mother or Inomoto-san about it."

Tooru realised that he had leaned forward, shoulders tense, and he let himself slump back against the pillows. "My parents don't know either." He frowned. "At least, I've never told them. I think Mama might know." He grinned ruefully. "Nee-san worked it out. She was trying to talk to me about it in the car on the way over here."

"Does it bother you? Her knowing that you're gay?"

Tooru wrinkled his nose. "Well, I'm not. I mean—I like men, definitely." He glanced across at Ushijima and smirked. "I like you."

"I am relieved to hear it."

Tooru laughed. "I like girls too though, I think. Not that I've ever had much luck with them." He frowned into the darkness. "Maybe I was trying to force something that isn't really there."

"Perhaps," Ushijima said evenly. "Does it bother you?"

"Not really," Tooru said, shrugging. He shuffled sideways and leaned against Ushijima's shoulder again. "It's a moot point in any case. I'm really quite happy where I am."

Ushijima reached over and placed his hand on Tooru's arm. The touch was heavy and comforting, and Tooru leaned into him more. 

"I'm glad," Ushijima said softly. His hand moved up, following Tooru's arm up to his shoulder, and then he cupped Tooru's face in his hand and turned his head to kiss him softly. 

Tooru shivered and opened his mouth to the kiss, touching Ushijima's bottom lip with his tongue. He turned toward Ushijima as he deepened the kiss, grabbing a handful of his hoodie and tugging him closer. He felt the laptop shift as he moved his legs under the covers, and pulled away quickly, afraid of knocking it to the floor.

"What is it?" Ushijima asked, his hand still cupping Tooru's jaw. 

"Your computer," Tooru whispered, turning his head. He scooped up the laptop, flipping down the screen, and reached over to place it out of the way. 

He had barely straightened up again before Ushijima was kissing him again. His fingers curled into Tooru's hair as he kissed a slow trail up the side of Tooru's neck, mouth hot on his skin. Something about the darkness amplified the sensation, and Tooru was shivering by the time Ushijima reached his ear and gently took Tooru's earlobe between his teeth. 

"Hah, Wakatoshi," Tooru sighed, tilting his head back further. "Don't we need to be quiet?"

Ushijima rolled the sensitive flesh of Tooru's earlobe between his teeth, and sucked on it gently for several painstakingly wonderful seconds before releasing him. "Then," he whispered against Tooru's ear, "you should try to be quiet."

Tooru laughed under his breath, but cut himself off sharply when Ushijima's hand ventured under his t-shirt, grasping his waist with warm fingers. "Ah—Wakacchan—"

" _Tooru_ ," Ushijima sighed against his neck. His lips pressed warm against Tooru's skin, open-mouthed kisses over his throat that made Tooru shiver again and wrap his arms around Ushijima's shoulders. 

"Wakatoshi," Tooru whispered, slouching down against the futon. "Kiss me."

Ushijima brought his mouth to Tooru's and kissed him deeply. He had long since discovered the ways that Tooru liked to be kissed best; it seemed his determination and singlemindedness weren't limited to volleyball, and he had devoted as much effort to learning Tooru's body as he did when practising his serve. It made Tooru feel incredibly spoiled. 

The air between them grew heated, and soon Tooru was struggling out of his long-sleeved t-shirt and tugging at the hem of Ushijima's hoodie, desperate to feel skin against skin after several agonising days apart. Ushijima sat up, carefully placing his t-shirt and hoodie to one side, and propped himself over Tooru, looking down at him with dark eyes. Tooru stared back. He felt naked already; there was something about the way Ushijima looked at him that made him feel _seen_ in a way he didn't when girls admired him, or his friends joked about him. 

"Wakacchan," he murmured, trying to pull Ushijima down on top of him. "What is it?"

Ushijima lowered his head just enough to touch the tip of Tooru's nose with his own. "It is strange, that's all. I was thinking about the last time you were here—"

"Don't," Tooru said quickly, with a horrible twist in his gut. "I was horrible to you back then." He reached up and brushed his fingers through Ushijima's hair. It was getting long, just enough that his fringe flopped over his eyebrow.

"You cannot say I didn't deserve it," Ushijima said solemnly.

Tooru started to laugh, and quickly quieted himself. "Of course I can," he murmured, tugging at Ushijima again. "But arguing about it really is stupid. Come down here and let me make it up to you."

With the two futons pushed together they had more space than they were used to, no longer in danger of rolling off the edge of a twin bed. The darkness and the need for quiet made the whole thing feel illicit, and somehow romantic. Unlike their usual quick fumbles in one or the other's dorm room, they were able to take their time, exploring each other's bodies with a thoroughness that was usually impossible. 

"You have a bruise here," Ushijima murmured as he stripped Tooru of his pyjama pants, following with his mouth. He brushed his thumb gently over the side of Tooru's thigh, making all the hairs on his leg stand on end. "Does it hurt?"

"Only a little," Tooru said, relaxing back against the bed. "I was playing with Takeru at the park and we slipped on some ice." 

"Was your nephew hurt?"

Tooru laughed. "Nah, he's made of rubber."

"How unusual," Ushijima commented in a sly voice as he made his way back up to Tooru's hip. 

They shuffled out of the rest of their clothes and tangled themselves together in the blankets. Tooru felt infused with warmth and indolence, and they lay for a long time just kissing and touching one another lazily, with no particular aim to their movements. The blinds were still open where they had looked out through the telescope, throwing bright moonlight into the room. Tooru watched Ushijima's face, half in shadow, as he began to trail his lips down Tooru's body once more. 

"Wakatoshi," Tooru moaned softly when Ushijima took him in his mouth. He tipped his head back against the pillow, back arching, but he couldn't look away from Ushijima for long.

Ushijima wore a blissful expression as he went down on Tooru, as though sucking him off was some magical gift he'd been given. Most days they were in a hurry to get off, but tonight he seemed to have decided to take his time, moving slowly and exploring instead of employing any of his usual tricks to make Tooru come quickly. He pulled away again just as the pleasure had started to climb at the base of Tooru's spine, moving up to kiss him again, his mouth hot and wet, lips swollen. 

"Tooru," Ushijima gasped, grinding against him slowly. "Do you want to fuck me?"

Tooru thought of the condoms and lube he'd shoved in his bag at the last minute. He wondered if Ushijima had spotted them while he was out of the room. "Do you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Ushijima arched against him, groaning softly. "Yes."

"Well, alright then," Tooru murmured, and kissed him again. 

It was awkward at first. It was only the third time they had gone so far, and Tooru was more grateful than usual that Ushijima was so direct. But they weren't in any hurry, so Tooru forced himself to relax and watch Ushijima's face while Tooru fingered him slowly. When he was ready, Ushijima threw him a pack of hand wipes from his desk, which made Tooru laugh and blush furiously as he cleaned up and rolled on a condom.

"How do you want this?" he whispered, leaning over Ushijima and kissing his jaw. 

"It will be quieter if we both lie on our sides."

"Whatever you want, Wakacchan," Tooru murmured, kissing him again softly.

They curled together on the bed, and Tooru held Ushijima tight as he carefully pushed inside him. Ushijima moaned, muffling himself in the pillow, and squeezed Tooru's hand tightly. 

"Wakatoshi," Tooru murmured, pressing his lips against the back of Ushijima's neck. He rocked into him slowly, breathing in the scent of his hair. " _Wakatoshi—_ "

They continued at the same languid pace, Ushijima smothering his moans in the pillow, while Tooru bit into Ushijima's shoulder to stifle himself. When Tooru finally came, he pushed Ushijima onto his back and went down on him until he was shuddering, clutching at Tooru's hair, back arching against the futon as he screamed silently at the ceiling. 

Tooru's legs were still shaking when he staggered down the attic stairs to use the bathroom afterward. He was hazy with bliss, half asleep, and the glare of the bathroom light made him wince. Tooru cleaned up quickly, wrapping the condom in a tissue to dispose of later. He didn't want to imagine the conversation he might subject Ushijima to if one of his parents were to find it. Ushijima had said that his parents might know about them, a thought which made Tooru's stomach lurch, but them being presented with the reality of their son's relationship was quite another matter to merely suspecting that something was going on. 

Ushijima met him in the doorway when he was finished, and kissed Tooru's cheek before disappearing into the bathroom himself. Tooru was half asleep when Ushijima finally came back up to the attic, and he made vague demanding noises until Ushijima curled up behind him, throwing an arm over his waist. 

"Wakacchan," he mumbled happily, snuggling back against him.

"Did I wake you?"

Tooru made a soft noise of dissent. "I was waiting." 

Ushijima squeezed him tightly and sighed against his shoulder. "Goodnight, Tooru."

"Night, Wakatoshi."

[link to full size image :3](https://notallballs.tumblr.com/post/163340372107/a-scene-from-my-fic-stargazing-for-poulerslashes)

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://notallballs.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/notallbees) | [my ushioi fic](http://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Sort+and+Filter&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&work_search%5Brelationship_ids%5D%5B%5D=1787338&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=ushijima&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=0&fandom_id=758208&user_id=notallbees)


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